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Fox News Politics: The War Drones On

Fox News Politics: The War Drones On

Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail.  What’s happening… -Trump and Harris campaigns in a dead heat… -Squad Democrat turns on Walz… -Progressive women’s groups silent on Doug Emhoff’s affair in previous marriage… Ukraine on Friday continued its efforts to bring the war onto Russian soil as fighting rages on in Russia’s Kursk region, while “massive” drone strikes were also carried out against military and government targets in at least four other western regions. Russia’s Lipetsk region, which sits just north of Kursk, came under attack by Ukrainian drone strikes early Friday in which an ammunition depot and warehouse were reportedly hit …Read more HUNKERING DOWN: Biden heads to Delaware after only one WH event …Read more HIGH DEMANDS: Republicans ask Supreme Court to allow Arizona proof of citizenship law to be enforced …Read more ‘FAR FROM MODERATE’: Former MN lawmakers reveal one key thing every American must know about Walz …Read more ‘YOU LOSE CREDIBILITY’: CNN panel has heated debate over Kamala Harris’ lack of engagement with media …Read more MARGIN OF ERROR: Trump and Harris in dead heat among voters in seven swing states: poll …Read more DOOR OPENED?: Walz pick does little to persuade Dearborn’s anti-Biden/Harris voters …Read more ‘WE ARE SUFFERING’: ‘Squad’ Dem challenger rips Walz for pushing same ‘dangerous’ policies as far-left radicals …Read more HATS OFF: Viral Harris-Walz camo cap raises $1 million, draws NRA scorn …Read more ‘WALZ’ WORK: Senate candidate Kari Lake rips Harris’ border cred at campaign event …Read more FLASHBACK: Walz claimed ‘responsibility to ensure’ 2020 riots would end before another night of chaos …Read more CHOPPING BLOCK: Venezuela’s Maduro bans X for 10 days following exchange with Elon Musk …Read more ‘THINK BEFORE YOU POST’: UK threatens jail time for offensive posts amid anti-immigration riots …Read more ‘KISS MY A–‘: Michigan man repeatedly curses at judge, gets hit with six misdemeanor charges …Read more WOMEN’S GROUPS SILENT: Progressive women’s groups silent on Doug Emhoff’s affair in previous marriage …Read more Subscribe now to get the Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

FLASHBACK: Walz backed ‘alternatives to policing’ package at height of defund movement

FLASHBACK: Walz backed ‘alternatives to policing’ package at height of defund movement

Days after the city of Minneapolis was crippled by violent riots after the death of George Floyd and at the height of the “defund the police movement,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz endorsed a package of progressive police reforms that included “alternatives to policing.” “Minnesotans are demanding real change,” Walz said during a June 11, 2020, press conference endorsing a police reform package put together by the Minnesota People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus. He called it one of his “legislative priorities.” “We stand united with House and Senate leaders and the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus, ready to get to work during the upcoming special session. I stand with the legislators who have coordinated a powerful set of reforms to make meaningful changes to our law enforcement system in Minnesota.” A daily update that year from the Minnesota House of Representatives also noted, “Members of the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus joined Gov. Tim Walz Thursday to present 18 bills they plan to introduce during the special session that begins Friday. Each bill deals with an aspect of police policy, training or discipline that caucus members believe will improve public safety and relations between officers and the communities they serve.”  VANCE FIRES BACK AT ‘DISGUSTING’ CNN ANCHOR SUGGESTING HIS MILITARY SERVICE WAS EMBELLISHED AMID WALZ DISPUTE “This is a coordinated and powerful set of reforms,” Walz said at the time. “Minnesota will change the way we do policing.” The “powerful set of reforms” included a call to create an Office of Community-Led Public Safety Coordination, which would “promote and monitor alternatives to traditional policing models” and award grants for “healing circles.” The proposal states that “$7,450,000 is appropriated for grants to promote healing support in the black, indigenous, and communities of color in Minnesota. The Office will provide grants to community-based organizations that provide programs and direct intervention to promote wellness and healing justice. Grants would be made available for, but not limited to, the expansion of community organizations that provide healing and wellness services, providing healing circles, restorative justice circles, and community coach certification programs.” FORMER MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS UNLOAD ON HARRIS’ ‘PARTISAN’ VP PICK TIM WALZ: ‘VERY THIN-SKINNED’ “We’re supporting that slate of legislative proposals,” Walz said during a press conference June 10, 2020, three days after the Minneapolis City Council pledged to disband its police force. Walz ultimately signed police reforms into law as part of the Minnesota Police Accountability Act. However, the legislation did not include an Office of Community-Led Public Safety Coordination. “This bipartisan bill follows decades of advocacy by communities of color,” Walz said when the legislation was approved. “And it is a good first step. These are long overdue changes, but they do not end the conversation we’re having about police accountability. The POCI Caucus has shown tremendous leadership on this issue, and I look forward to continuing our work with them to bring meaningful reform.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris/Walz campaign for comment but did not receive a response. 

Walz’s honeymoon with China gets fresh scrutiny as Harris camp blasts ‘lying’ critics

Walz’s honeymoon with China gets fresh scrutiny as Harris camp blasts ‘lying’ critics

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is facing scrutiny from Republicans over what they say are pro-China remarks, including an interview in which the Democratic vice presidential nominee said he does not agree with the idea there needs to be an adversarial relationship with the communist government. Walz worked briefly in China as a teacher, traveling to Guangdong in 1989 for a teach abroad program to teach English and American history. He later became a member of Congress and governor of Minnesota.  The Wall Street Journal, citing local media reports, reported that one trip to China doubled as his honeymoon in 1994, and he planned his wedding date to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. In an interview from 2016, Walz said he believed there was potential for a strong relationship between China and the U.S., although he also said China needed to play “by the rules” on human rights and the environment. FORMER MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS UNLOAD ON HARRIS’ ‘PARTISAN’ VP PICK TIM WALZ: ‘VERY THIN-SKINNED’  “I’ve lived in China and, as I’ve said, I’ve been there about 30 times. … I don’t fall into the category that China necessarily needs to be an adversarial relationship. I totally disagree, and I think we need to stand firm on what they’re doing in the South China Sea, but there’s many areas of cooperation we can work on,” he said in the interview with Agri-Pulse Communications. In the interview, he noted he was on the congressional executive commission on China, a bipartisan commission that focuses on human rights. Walz taught the same year as the Tiananmen Square crackdown by the communist regime against pro-democracy protesters. He later started a company to organize trips to China and, as he noted in his remarks, has visited the country dozens of times, conducting summer education trips to China. The New York Post reported that he said after his initial travel there, “No matter how long I live, I will never be treated that well again.” It’s brought criticism from some on the right who believe Walz is soft on the threat coming from the Chinese Communist Party. Former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell said “communist China is very happy with [Walz] as Kamala’s VP pick.” “No one is more pro-China than Marxist Walz,” Grenell said. James Hutton, a former assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs, said Walz “doesn’t see China as a problem.” “This is a guy who will have to learn the truth of the vicious nature of the dictatorship in Beijing. Communist tyranny may not be a bad thing to Walz, but the rest of the world knows. Walz is dangerous.” “Tim Walz owes the American people an explanation about his unusual, 35-year relationship with Communist China,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said. The Harris campaign and some Democrats have pushed back against that criticism.  “Throughout his career, Gov. Walz has stood up to the CCP, fought for human rights and democracy and always put American jobs and manufacturing first. Republicans are twisting basic facts and desperately lying to distract from the Trump-Vance agenda: praising dictators and sending American jobs to China,” spokesperson James Singer said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will ensure we win the competition with China and will always stand up for our values and interests in the face of China’s threats.”  WHERE DOES TIM WALZ STAND ON ISRAEL? Others, including Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin, noted that Walz criticized Beijing for cultural genocide in Tibet and Xinjiang in 2009, accompanied Speaker Nancy Pelosi on a visit to Tibet and had met with the Dalai Lama. He has also co-sponsored resolutions on key human rights issues. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., told the Post his selection is “an affirming signal that a Harris-Walz administration would continue to make human rights a key part of the United States’ relationship with China.” Meanwhile, on Chinese social media platform Weibo, opinions were split on what the Walz pick indicated. “In 2014, he said in an interview with U.S. media that he ‘cares a lot about human rights and democracy in China.’ He was also a member of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. He has bad intentions,” another said. Fox News’ Eryk Michael Smith contributed to this report.

Walz accusations of ‘stolen valor’ prompt battle between House veterans

Walz accusations of ‘stolen valor’ prompt battle between House veterans

Controversy over Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s military service record is at the heart of Capitol Hill’s latest political firestorm, with veterans on both sides of the aisle chiming in on the new Democratic vice presidential candidate. Republicans are accusing Walz of misrepresenting details about his 24-year career in the National Guard — GOP lawmakers who served in the military have attacked him for leaving the National Guard to run for Congress shortly before his unit deployed to Iraq. Democratic veterans in Congress jumped to his defense, pointing out that Walz served past his 20-year retirement eligibility mark and dismissing the GOP attacks as baseless. “The veterans’ community is incensed right now that Tim Walz refuses to answer questions about his military record,” Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., the first former Green Beret elected to Congress, told Fox News Digital. “[He] has misled voters about his military rank, and it appears he abandoned his men prior to their deployment to Iraq. We expect leaders to lead by example and this ain’t it.” JD VANCE ACCUSES TIM WALZ OF ‘LYING’ ABOUT MILITARY SERVICE: ‘STOLEN VALOR GARBAGE’ Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., a retired Navy SEAL who served multiple combat tours, told Fox News Digital, “He abandoned his soldiers and their families at the time they needed him most, before a combat deployment. He sat on the sidelines in Minnesota as his soldiers risked their lives in Iraq. This is a Cardinal Sin for anyone that has served our nation honorably. God forbid he is ever a heartbeat away from becoming the Commander in Chief.” The Harris campaign countered the GOP offensive with a press call hosted by House Democratic military veteran Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo.; Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass.; and Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J. “We have officers and enlisted who have all said he’s an exemplary, admirable soldier,” said Auchincloss, a former Marine, adding that attacks against Walz were cast “in bad faith.” Crow, a retired Army Ranger, said, “It just shows how morally bankrupt they are. They have no ideas. They have no vision for the future. All they can do is attack and lie and twist and contort.” The controversy kicked off when Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, former President Trump’s running mate and a former Marine, accused Walz of “stolen valor.” VP KAMALA HARRIS PICKING GOV. TIM WALZ AS RUNNING MATE MET WITH MEDIA SCORN: ‘SUCH A WEIRD CHOICE’ “When the United States Marine Corps, when the United States of America, asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country, I did it. I did what they asked me to do, and I did it honorably, and I’m very proud of that service,” Vance said during a media event this week. Crow responded to Vance on X, “Falsely maligning a fellow veteran’s service for personal gain is beyond the pale. You’ve lost your way.” Walz had served in the National Guard for 20 years before retiring and re-enlisting after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. He retired two months before his unit received orders to deploy to Iraq, spurring accusations among critics that he left to avoid deployment. “Tim Walz served honorably. He served for 24 years,” Auchincloss said Thursday. “He made his decision to run for the United States Congress before his battalion got notice of impending deployment to Iraq.” CNN FACT-CHECKS TIM WALZ ABOUT ‘ABSOLUTELY FALSE’ CLAIM HE CARRIED WEAPONS ‘IN WAR’ He also contrasted his record to Trump’s, who has been accused by his critics of dodging the Vietnam War draft for his deferrals on medical grounds, and accused him of a “despicable track record of disparaging veterans.” The Minnesota governor has never deployed to a combat zone. Vance served in Iraq for six months in a noncombat role following the 2001 attack. Walz was also discovered to have claimed several times that he retired as a command sergeant major, which is not accurate — he reverted to his previous rank upon retirement because he did not complete the necessary corresponding coursework, the National Guard has said. It prompted the Harris-Walz campaign to update his biography page from saying he was a “retired Command Sergeant Major” to having “served as a command sergeant major.” Where Walz spent his deployment has also generated back-and-forth between the right and left. During his re-enlistment, Walz deployed to Italy in 2005 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, according to the National Guard. He said in a resurfaced C-SPAN interview, “My battalion provided base security throughout the European theater from Turkey to England in the early stages of the war in Afghanistan.” That has been seized on by critics who have accused him of falsely claiming to have deployed to Afghanistan. It’s not clear from reports, however, that Walz has ever said he deployed to Afghanistan. Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris-Walz campaign for comment. Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report

Republicans ask Supreme Court to allow Arizona proof of citizenship law to be enforced

Republicans ask Supreme Court to allow Arizona proof of citizenship law to be enforced

The Republican Party is urging the nation’s highest court to allow Arizona to enforce its proof of citizenship requirements ahead of the November election. The Supreme Court is being asked to allow enforcement of sections of an Arizona law requiring documented proof of citizenship to cast a ballot in the presidential election, including voting by mail. The Republican National Committee and state GOP lawmakers have filed an emergency appeal with Justice Elena Kagan, who has jurisdiction over time-sensitive applications from Arizona.  SUPREME COURT REJECTS MISSOURI EFFORT TO BLOCK SENTENCING, GAG ORDER AGAINST TRUMP IN NEW YORK CASE Kagan has the discretion to act alone or bring in her eight colleagues to decide the case, Republican National Committee v. Mi Familia Vota.   She will likely ask opponents of the law to weigh in with written briefs, which would be due in the coming days.  A federal judge had blocked enforcement of the law, prompting the appeal to the high court for temporary relief. LEONARD LEO SAYS EFFORTS TO ‘DELEGITIMIZE’ SUPREME COURT THROUGH MEDIA ATTACKS ARE MEANT TO UNDERMINE RULINGS The now-stalled 2022 state law requiring proof of citizenship was challenged by civil rights groups and the Arizona Democratic Party.  A 2013 Supreme Court ruling previously limited when states could impose such restrictions when voting in federal elections. A high court order on enforcement in the Arizona case is expected in the coming days or weeks. This comes as Vice President Kamala Harris — the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee — and her running mate Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) plans to rally in the state later Friday, a key election battleground.